Using Social Media In Your Job Search
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The document discusses the importance of social media in job searching, highlighting its role in personal branding, networking, and recruitment. It outlines various social media platforms, their growth in usage, and the advantages of using them for career opportunities. Additionally, it provides practical advice on creating a professional online presence and the effective use of platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
![Its 2005 : Blogs begin impacting businesses and industries “ [Blogs are].. simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they're going to shake up just about every business -- including yours.” - Stephen Baker and Heather Green, “Blogs will change your business”, Business week, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm , published on May 2, 2005 Within 1 hr of the London bombings, there were more than 1300 blog posts on the event – prompting the BBC to admit “ We don’t own the news any more” - Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC World Service and Global News Division. October 2005.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/usingsocialmediainyourjobsearchpost-124593883201-phpapp02/85/Using-Social-Media-In-Your-Job-Search-9-320.jpg)
![The Linkedin dashboard [home page] main page real estate is reserved for updating you on the activities of your connections Legend Jobs – some exclusive Discussions by topic Privacy settings are here Tailor your profile here List of your contacts Linkedin Inbox Applications – my blog Updates on you and your connections Linkedin suggested connections Who’s viewing you Events your contacts are attending ](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/usingsocialmediainyourjobsearchpost-124593883201-phpapp02/85/Using-Social-Media-In-Your-Job-Search-22-320.jpg)
![Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real time . Messaging - “micro-blogging” -- all posts/updates [called 'tweets'] are 140 characters or less. Connected - in twitter, its pretty simple. You follow people [following] and people follow you [followers]. Real time - *huge* Twitter offers as close to real time as it gets – giving out a constant stream of small information updates.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/usingsocialmediainyourjobsearchpost-124593883201-phpapp02/85/Using-Social-Media-In-Your-Job-Search-28-320.jpg)
Using Social Media In Your Job Search
- 1. How to use social media in job search Laurie Dillon-Schalk, owner & chief social strategist, Social Wisdom Social Wisdom is a Toronto based digital marketing agency helping firms use social media and the web wisely creating better relationships and business results. October 2009
- 2. Agenda Introductions The Rise of Social Media Definition Impact on business, relationships and networking. How recruiting has changed in 2009 How social are you? Personal branding – pros & cons of social networking Overview of the top social networking sites & recommended actions Questions & Answers – thru-out & at end of session
- 3. What is social media? Wikipedia: “ social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content …. transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many)” Simplified – there are many types of social medias: Modified from BigBig design’s classification, Cynthia Closkey’s Six Types of Social Media Sites Wikipedia Ideajams Wikis & Communities Twitter Wordpress Typepad Itunes podcasts Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Youtube Flickr Picasa Facebook Linkedin Myspace Micro-blogging Blogs & Podcasts Social Bookmarking Media Sites Social Networking Sites
- 4. At the moment, most people think of social networking when they think of social media Canada is the third highest nation for internet penetration (84.5%) (ref) Facebook – 7/10 Canadians have a profile! Twitter usage is estimated to be 14% but is growing exponentially. Overall, U.S. visits to social networking Web sites rose 62 percent from September 2008 to September 2009 (ref) E-marketer.com – sourced from comScore Media Metrix, June 2009
- 5. Social Networking refers to the sites that allow easy connection between people. Other people around the world Other co-workers around the world Other co-workers in your country Co-Workers Friends Aaron Kim, formerly IBM, Social Tagging and Folksonomy Summit June 14-15, 2006 Southbury, CT You Jim Mary Your manager Jim’s manager Susan John Helen Roberto Akira Chris Peter Frequent e-mails Infrequent e-mails Social Media
- 6. How do humans manage relationships? 150 Dr. Dunbar’s number 130 Average no. of facebook friends 7- 10 Direct, one way relationship 5 Reciprocal, 1:1 relationship Dr. Dunbar is British Anthropologist who studied group sizes. He states that the maximum size of a stable network of relationships for humans is 150 people. But most people have small personal networks. Social networking allows people to get closer to Dunbar’s number by making it easier to manage more casual relationships than ever before.
- 7. So.. How did we get here? Laurie’s history lesson…
- 8. Its 2005 : Blogs emerge, the internet is used everyday and for major decisions Over 79% of US adults using the internet with 44% of adults using the internet everyday 45% claim the internet helped them make major decisions Training for a career Help with a major illness or medical condition Choose a school or college for yourself or child Find a new place to live Change jobs Why is the internet used? Because users can connect with other people for advise or sharing valuable experience . Horrigan, John and Lee Raine. The Internet’s Growing Role in Life’s Major Moments. Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 19, 2006, http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/The-Internets-Growing-Role-in-Lifes-Major-Moments.aspx , accessed on June 23, 2009.
- 9. Its 2005 : Blogs begin impacting businesses and industries “ [Blogs are].. simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they're going to shake up just about every business -- including yours.” - Stephen Baker and Heather Green, “Blogs will change your business”, Business week, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm , published on May 2, 2005 Within 1 hr of the London bombings, there were more than 1300 blog posts on the event – prompting the BBC to admit “ We don’t own the news any more” - Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC World Service and Global News Division. October 2005.
- 10. Now its 2006 - 8 -- So what’s happening in the market that is contributing to social media rising in its importance? E-mail Overload -- “E-mail has become the bane of some people’s professional lives” – Michael Arrington, Founder of TechCrunch, Quoted in NY Times April 20 , 2008 Social Networking Sites (SNS) offer protected email. The lack of spam and fewer messages mean that messages are more likely to be read. Old media trust issues : Levels of trust are highest for consumer recommendations and opinions and for online medias (websites and email) and lower for newspapers, magazines, tv, radio, etc.
- 11. Now its 2009 , social media is REVOLUTIONIZING the world of recruiting Better recruits: Employers are more satisfied with the quality of candidates from employee referrals and social networks than those from job boards. Cheaper: Social Networks are cheaper than large placement firms. Faster: Social Networks streamline the process – making it faster to placement. Consider - some say that the future of hiring will be that companies only hire someone who can be referred.
- 12. Indeed in 2009 the majority of recruiters or human resource professionals turn to social networking for candidate selection. (US based data) Human resource professionals are using a variety of online sites to research candidates: 76% LinkedIn 67% Search engines 44% Facebook 21% Twitter Please note: 24% of candidates disclose their social networking presence when applying for a job. Surveyed recruiters respond: Please note – all of the above social networking tools are free to join and use.
- 13. And yet, not all those looking for a job are using social media to get one. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Generations-Online-in-2009/Generational-Differences-in-Online-Activities.aspx?r=1 We’ve got a big problem Batman
- 14. Are you socially savvy? Modified from: http://afinanceguy.com/2009/06/18/social-media-tutorial-facebook-twitter-linkedin-blog-readers-personal-branding/ Tweet & re-tweet min. once every two days Do you have a twitter account? (and use it) Social Networks Does it include Are you on Facebook? Photo up, privacy settings set to friends only 25+ contacts Are you on Linkedin? Profile is 100% complete Min 50+ contacts Min 4 referrals (from at least two recent jobs) Belong to 3+ groups Answer questions Privacy settings – open Are you googleable? (I can find you) Top page results (put your name in “”) All positive information Do you read blogs? Yes – do you have an RSS feed? Do you read up on employees from companies you like? Do you comment on blogs? Do you have a blog? Post min once a week
- 15. Personal Branding – taking care in how you present yourself What is a brand? A brand is who you are and the sum of all the interactions and experiences that you give as perceived by others . Marketing = what you say and do Branding: As perceived by me. Hmm.. Excellent painter but what’s with the ear?
- 16. Top 3 things that make hiring managers dismiss a candidate based on what they find on google or facebook:” 41% of candidates posted information about them drinking or using drugs 40% of candidates posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information 29% of candidates had poor communication skills Survey by Careerbuilder.com, surveying 3,169 hiring mgrs – June 2008 http://sev.prnewswire.com/workforce-management/20080910/AQW02510092008-1.html
- 17. Four things for you to do: Google yourself. Put your name in “quotations”, search for your images, remove tags on unwanted photos in facebook. Create a one line bio Not your title, a mini biography line about yourself
- 18. Four things for you to do: Get your digital photo UP – create your AVATAR! Use a personal photo, crop it close and turn it into black & white to make it more professional looking. Personalize any and all communication to your network Remind people how you know them, ask about them or give a reason to connect This is the standard message! Change it!
- 19. Watch-outs Do not provide your full birthday nor social insurance number online. E.g. either leave the birthday blank on facebook and linkedin or do not add your year of birth. Fraud jobs might ask for a job application including social insurance numbers prior to interviews. Do not agree to any elaborate payment schemes e.g. cashing cheques on behalf of companies. (this is mostly from craigslist… when in doubt, google the text from your email.)
- 21. Linkedin - your online rolodex and more Imagine a rolodex that updates itself automatically and the rolodex contains way more information than an address and phone no. business autobiography photo or avatar references / referrals See the network! See connections of connections Groups (like minded) Q&A by topic Jobs, jobs, jobs
- 22. The Linkedin dashboard [home page] main page real estate is reserved for updating you on the activities of your connections Legend Jobs – some exclusive Discussions by topic Privacy settings are here Tailor your profile here List of your contacts Linkedin Inbox Applications – my blog Updates on you and your connections Linkedin suggested connections Who’s viewing you Events your contacts are attending
- 23. Linkedin Dashboard Legend Groups & Associations My online bio (not the same as ‘title’) Answers to topics that I follow Featured jobs that I might be interested in Linkedin Applications (there are many. I’ve added my blog to my profile)
- 24. Suggested strategies for linkedin Objective Do’s Don’ts Grow your network Connect to facebook friends & import e-mail contacts Check out linkedin connection suggestions and review connections of connections Join groups of like minded, ask for intros Meet someone? Link in immediately. Find a jewel? Find a reason to connect in person. Not a popularity contest – go for quality not quantity. Don’t link to strangers (people do not like that) Don’t outright ask for a job Make it easy for your network to find you Make your profile 100% complete (photo & 4 referrals) Allow public access to a number of items (privacy) Don’t chicken out on the photo – do it Establish your personal brand Consistent avatar Detailed online bio Personalize your messages Answer discussions Add linkedin address to resume Professional photo No pictures of kids (this is not facebook) Don’t rain on people’s parade Be top of mind Do network updates (various forms) Update your status (meaningful) Answer discussions Not too much – 1 a week Be careful – its public record Build relationships & go after what you want Comment on people’s updates Get a job feed based on what you like Ask for introductions, personalize messages Short but sweet
- 26. The Facebook “home page” or dashboard focuses on your friends new news wall Status update Company pages FB suggests friends Go here for privacy settings
- 27. Make the choice – will you keep personal and business separate? I recommend keeping facebook private and develop more intimate online relationships. Objective Do’s Don’ts Grow your friends list Do connect with people you’ve lost touch with. Do export your e-mail contact list to find friend matches Clean up your profile (see don’ts) Don’t try to ‘friend’ business people you don’t know. Don’t make it easy for professionals to find you here Adjust your privacy settings so you are not found Join groups but be professional and kind Join company fan pages for sponsors Don’t put anything incriminating on your personal pages anyways. Mouth off on a facebook fan or company page – its public even if your profile is private. Establish your personal brand Facebook is an area of greater, more intimate connection. Often with people you used to know. Photos of kids, trips, etc Let people know what you are interested in. No drunk, naked, criminal photos
- 28. Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real time . Messaging - “micro-blogging” -- all posts/updates [called 'tweets'] are 140 characters or less. Connected - in twitter, its pretty simple. You follow people [following] and people follow you [followers]. Real time - *huge* Twitter offers as close to real time as it gets – giving out a constant stream of small information updates.
- 29. Use twitter to follow people in organizations you like and to keep in touch with your subject matter expertise/passion Objective Do’s Grow your network (grow followers) Find your twitter voice & do it often – once a day Retweet smart tweets Comment and thank people Check out MrRetweet – to auto add your linkedin network to your twitter list. Recommend people you like Make it easy for professionals to find you Find out if your network has a twitter address. Most people follow someone who follows them. Your @twitter address is your new email Find companies or subject matter experts you like Follow companies you are interested in Follow relevant hashtags Establish your personal brand Use the same photo (avatar) as linkedin Choose a memorable username (your name) so that people can identify you easily. (same as linked, same as facebook) Your twitter address is your new email ** Add your one line bio and chose your words wisely. One big way people decide whether or not to follow you is by reading your short blurb that pops up when hovering over your photo. I like to see topics people tweet about and their roles (e.g. consultant, father of two, banker, etc).
- 30. How it can work: I’m not special!!! This is happening to people who know how to use Social Networking Sites 235 followers 124 friends 218 connections Noticed an old friend got a new job. Commented on his status. Led to lunch. He suggests a job opportunity not available on job boards. A connection of a connection notices my profile (online bio), sent me a message & wants to collaborate on business , coffee meeting is next week. Headhunter found my profile, called me for a job not posted on a board I answered a question, person who asked it liked my answer and wants to stay connected based on subject matter expertise Friends with my university pals. One of them needs freelance help on a large quote to the government. Asked for my resume. Staying connected with ex-ibmers. One of which passed a contract to me, and another passed this speaking opportunity . Nothing yet – but reconnected with people I worked with but didn’t have a huge relationship with. Meeting people all over the world. Global connections And more…
Editor's Notes
- #2: Its not what you know, its who you know
- #13: This survey is of 438 hiring managers – enough to be statistically relevant – however, survey invitations were done off a web 2.0 job recruiting software website. And so the responses are likely skewed towards social networking. Still – there is a message for job searchers.
- #16: I’ve done a lot of branding work – corporate and product branding. So let’s visit some of the fundamental principles of branding. What is it? Who you are – sum of all interactions and experiences as PERCEIVED by others. Give future shop experience. Executive thought FS brand was about good deals on electronics. But that is not what public told us. They told us about bad customer service, high pressure sales tactics and loud messaging. The brand was what the customers perceived. This is important because when we talk about personal branding – you are leaving public record about yourself. If you say you are a team player and you rant on facebook fan pages – then you are presenting a different message. This is what we need to think about in personal branding.
- #22: Start with rolodex. Pull out business card. I used to work here – then I went on maternity leave and was terminated while on leave. (amicably – it was the housing business). All my physical files are still at the company. I can’t take that with me. But my network is my own. And I maintain it on the web where I can access it from anywhere at anytime. Anybody that has a business card of mine is SOL. (out of luck) but if we are connected thru linkedin – then I update my records. Now take it a step further. I can exchange ideas, communicate, understand what is happening and ask questions. People can look at my profile.